Article: Are You In The List 2016 winner: Ankita Poddar

Are You In The List 2016 winner: Ankita Poddar

Ankita Poddar from Amazon India believes that HR should start to think about optimizing resources and create more space to do more.

Her 4.5 years of experience in HR and in particular the L&D field has given her exposure to learn, innovate, and execute several employee engagement programs in organizations with special focus on rewards & recognition, communication, performance management among others. Along with her responsibilities at work, Ankita is an HR blogger and is part of the Blog Squad for SHRM. She is also a part of the Youth Council of the NHRD– Chennai chapter & leads the content team of the Council.

Ankita Poddar, HR Business Partner, Amazon

One thing you will:

Start in HR: An insatiable thirst to eliminate waste, optimize resources and create space to do more

Continue in HR: The practice of going back & questioning the very basics that we’ve believed in for so long. Especially when we’ve seen organizations like Gravity Payments experimenting with compensation, Basecamp launching its ‘Work can Wait’ feature, Buffer making compensation public and more.

Stop in HR: Being negative about our profession. I think it is time we all start being HR Positive.

As an emerging HR leader, one thing which brings great pride to you:

I am very proud of my blog. Also, I am proud of my curiosity & ability to experiment with ideas at the workplace.

Biggest flaw in the way organizations operate today, and how do you plan to fix that:

The imperfect co-ordination between business priorities and talent strategy. Each business decision affects the people in the organization. This impact needs to be largely positive and not one at the cost of the other. There are times when my business leader asks me why I need confidential business information. There is a lack of organizational leaders' understanding how the people agenda connects with business priorities.

As an HR leader, I would question how people intervention impacts the business and how can I customize solutions based on needs. We need to step away from a one-size-fits-all solution even within an organization.

What makes the difference while you are in HR in a corporate set up:

I love to experiment, ask questions and take bets on what I believe in. I also believe in maintaining a right balance between speed of execution and deep dive. One shouldn’t be afraid of failure and one must definitely not give up too soon.

In 5 years, you see yourself as:

A well-known HR Influencer both in India as well as worldwide

The ‘Are You in The List’ Journey:

Immensely exciting. Every stage taught me something new about myself.

FIRE SHOT QUESTIONS

As an emerging HR leader, what keeps you up at night: The fear that I may not be learning & innovating fast enough

Describe today’s HR in one line: The most under-estimated profession of all times

Who is your inspiration to be an HR professional: Kris Dunn & all the wonderful people at Fistful of Talent

Qualities which differentiate you from other participants: Curiosity, willingness to experiment & honestly blog about everything I learn

A stranger’s first impression of yours would be: Obsessed with all thing HR, Amazon & Behavioural Economics

What are your biggest strengths: Not accepting failure

One weakness you can do without: Anxiety

If we have to automate you and ask you to keep one human quality, what should that be: The ability to dream.

Your Favourite book: I can’t pick. There are just too many.

Your Hobby: Writing

One word that describes an HR professional: Challenging (It is true. It can be rather challenging dealing with us.)

For the entire list of Are You in The List Awards 2016, please click here.

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Amid this new business imperative called EX, organizations are increasingly directing their focus on enhancing not only the professional prospects of their workforce but also their employees’ cumulative professional experience and creating that 'aha' moments. In this issue, we take a look at the right mix of physical, digital and emotional experiences that can help organizations elevate the employee experience, and more importantly the roadblocks that organizations face to create a home-away-home.